Which WWII General Are You?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Which WWII General Are You?
Image: Buddy Mays / Corbis / Getty Images

About This Quiz

World War II is the war that stands out perhaps more than all other wars. It created the world order that became the landscape of the rest of the 20th century. It set the tone for the conduct of war for the rest of the century, as well as cementing the tactics used for state on state warfare to the present day. It also, to paraphrase Theodore Roosevelt, produced the great generals. The generals who fought in WWII were nearly all veterans of the so-called "War To End All Wars" that preceded it. They had seen the horrors of modern technology brought into the battlefield. They knew about how technology was advancing, what made a modern soldier effective, and the stakes of losing the war they were now in charge of.

Each general in WWII had his own persona, favored tactics, leadership style and track record. Some were known for stoicism, others for cunning, still others for brutality. No two were alike. Those who survived the war went on to live lives in peacetime, either as civilians or in continued military service, but each carried with them the weight of their decisions made during the war. Which WWII general are you? Take this personality quiz, and we'll tell you.

How rough was your childhood?
Not very rough
I grew up eating nails and broken glass.
It was a life of privilege.
Rough enough

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What virtue did your role models embody, above all other virtues?
Vision
Will
Cunning
Morality

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How do you take criticism?
I take my licks but I don't have to like it.
I say nothing, then back-stab later if possible.
I argue, vehemently.
I take note, but I don't always follow it.

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How do you feel when a challenge becomes really drawn out?
I roll up my sleeves and do things myself.
I double down.
I change tactics.
I rearrange my resources.

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What's your preferred card game?
Bridge
War
Poker
Blackjack

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Which pre-1900 general do you admire most?
Washington
Genghis Khan
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Sun Tzu

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What one modern weapon do you think would have most helped The Allies, early in WWII?
ICBMs
Social media, and its hacking
Modern firearms
NATO

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Which WWII battle do you think would make the best film?
The Second Battle of El Alamein
The Battle of Stalingrad
D-Day
Operation Cobra

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How well do you adapt when your tools are taken away?
I find a way to make myself useful.
I redouble my efforts with what I still have.
I change my strategy and tactics accordingly.
I find a way to replace them.

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How well do you communicate with your subordinates?
Not well
Not at all
Reasonably well
Very well

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How do you explain things to your superiors?
I use charm.
I try not to emote much, and make my victories their victories.
I don't have superiors.
Honestly, and without flourishes

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What do you do if you accidentally show up the boss?
Say something self-deprecating
Hide somewhere, expecting death
Pat myself on the back
Take his job

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What method do you use to motivate your subordinates to do a good job?
Treat them with the care and respect they deserve.
Threats
Put them in a situation where they have to work hard just to survive
Work just as hard as they do

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When the going gets tough, how do you get?
Flummoxed
Target-fixed
Self-conscious
Calm

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In what kind of weather do you perform best?
Temperate weather
The freezing cold
Comfortable weather
Hot weather

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What kind of non-work-related activities do you engage in to make you better at your job?
I study recreational math.
I work out.
I immerse myself in culture.
I read everything.

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How do you behave in victory?
I congratulate the team.
I kick my opponent while they are down.
I spike the football.
I help up my fallen opponent.

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How good are you at keeping secrets?
Not great
Terrible
Pretty good
Excellent

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What's your blind spot?
I find it difficult to trust others.
Morality
Ego
I trust too much.

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How inspiring are you?
A bit
Not at all
Fairly
Very

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Which theater of the war was the most interesting, historically speaking?
The North African Theater
The Eastern Front
The Western Front
The Pacific

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What is the single most important element in war?
Organization
Ruthlessness
Surprise
Intelligence

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Where do you draw the line?
Hurting civilians
Draw the what?
Destroying ourselves to destroy our enemies
Doing anything more than what is necessary to win

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What's your vice?
Scotch
Vodka
Wine
Cigars

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What lesson do you take from WWI?
The draft is wrong.
You need to be willing to let your own side lose a lot to win.
The people in charge are always fighting the last war.
War will only get harder as things advance.

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How do you feel about the use of atomic weaponry?
It sound horrifying.
It's fantastic!
I think the threat is enough.
It's immoral.

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What would you do after fighting a war?
Stop the world from making the same mistakes
Nothing
Take over
Find a way to help in a civilian capacity

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What was the most important military advancement during WWII?
The Jerry Can
Modern explosives
Photography
The Turing machine

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How do you feel about NATO?
It's important, but not as important as the UN.
It's stupid, and useless. Abandon it.
It's very useful.
It's the indispensable force for peace and order in the world.

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Who suffered the most during WWII?
Hitler's victims
The Russian people
The occupied people of the war
The civilians caught in the middle

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You Got: